BOU AVENUE
Amsterdam
Kicking off our Christmas vacation, Zosia Zgolak and I flew out of Calgary, Alberta on 22 December 2018 and landed in Amsterdam, Netherlands on the morning of 23 December 2018.  With a six-hour layover before our connecting flight to Warsaw, Poland, we decided to leave Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and took a train into the city centre where we spent the next few hours wandering the streets and enjoying the local atmosphere.  The time flew by much too quickly, and regrettably, we had to cut our visit short and hurry back to the airport.  This was my first time stepping foot in Europe, and although the main course of our vacation was still to come in Poland, Amsterdam proved to be a great appetizer.  Someday, I would like to return and explore this great city more thoroughly.
KLM rocks! Zosia's and Sonny's airplane (KLM Royal Dutch Airlines) is being fueled and loaded at Calgary International Airport.
She is! Zosia hopes she is at the right train platform to go to Amsterdam city centre.
"Bike theft is a fact of life in Amsterdam." Bicycles are everywhere in central Amsterdam.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
No, she's not trying to steal the bike!

Zosia stands on a bridge over one of the many canals in Amsterdam.
R.I.P. Anne Frank. Tickets to the historic Anne Frank House must be booked ahead of time.  Zosia is content to loiter briefly outside the house.
Say "cheese"! Zosia dresses up for a photo at the Amsterdam Cheese Museum.
I look like I "cut the cheese"!

A funny thing happened to Sonny on the way to Poland!

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
Not as good as it looks...too sweet! Sonny is thrilled to try a waffle covered with strawberries and white chocolate.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
Zosia is in heaven! Zosia samples some raw herring (with pickles and onion) in front of a fish stand.
Hmm...I'm trying to picture Zosia in one of these outfits... No visit to Amsterdam would be complete without a stroll through the Red Light District.  Unfortunately, not a lot happens here during the morning hours.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak